Really firm (90-99% Cocoa) dark chocolate bitterness upfront with a nice dry hint of leather, somewhere within that powerful mix of chocolate and leather I get a hint at subtle fruity complexities which will probably reveal themselves in the coming years. Solid base of mulch, wet wood, and damp leaves with a persistent sweetness delivered through endless salivation in the cheeks. After a minute or so the dry bitter notes fade to reveal a very long and smooth lingering wetness which coats the back of the throat. After looking up more about the tea it seems that sensation is where the cakes name is derived from – “Hui Run”. The qi is forward and strong, it makes no attempt to hide how young it is.
It was enjoyable enough in its own way, but I would probably not visit it again until it’s had some time to develop. As is I wouldn’t rate this well, but with aging in mind I think it has a lot of potential. It’s definitely rough around the edges, but hey it’s less then a year old and has lost a lot of its off flavors. There’s enough heft to develop into something really special in my opinion – not a drink now kind of shou.
